To ask if there is anything I can do to stop myself slowing down as I age?

[Fraudornot]

Reached a significant birthday recently so feeling the years tick away. I’m still very physically fit but wondering about the other aspects where I can see myself slowing down - examples such as how slow I am on my phone, taking so long to get out to do things, it just generally taking longer for things like figuring out directions. Does anyone know what I mean and is there anything that can be done or is it inevitable?

– Take a (good quality) omega 3 supplement

– In fact, do some research on supplements generally - there is good research to speak for many – check out someone like Rhonda Patrick (academic who shares lots of info on the topic)

– EXERCISE – it will keep the mitachondria in your cells healthy and literally keep your body young. In terms if the brain, the actual shearing force of blood being pushed into the capillaries of your brain keeps them clear and staves off mental decline. The benefits of exercise for maintaining mental acuity cannot be overstated.

– fasting & exposure to heat and cold (which prompts autophagy and for your body to produce heat and cold shock proteins, respectively)

It depends on how you define 'retirement' obviously!
My career could be boring and unstimulating. I could then take up learning a language, have more time for exercise and volunteer in an area that I find enjoyable. This is what I plan on doing.
People who decline, have no meaning, purpose or direction when they retire.
Do not take 'scientific' studies as gospel without analysis.

And also this ⬆️

Everyone I know who”s retired looks healthier & seems to be enjoying life to the max. Retirement doesn’t mean sitting on the sofa all day. It means time to exercise, look after yourself, travel and have fun. Work prevents me doing as much of those things as I’d like. I can’t wait to retire!

Depends what you do with your retirement, surely?

I’m sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing worthwhile (because I’m ill). Normally I am doing the garden, learning two languages, volunteering and swimming three times a week. Frankly that is more stimulating for me than work had become by the time I retired early. It’s all about how you use your time. I would say, whether you are retired or not, do something physically active and do something mentally active and that is the best way to keep from slowing down too much.

Don’t retire! Every retired person I know ages physically and mentally quicker than those who keep working.

Absolutely not the case amongst my very wide friendship group. That said, we all have lots of hobbies and are very active and that is the message. It's not 'don't retire', it's ensuring that you are keeping your mind and body stimulated and active.

I don't think people retire like they used to, you probably weren't expecting to live much more than a decade after retirement if that. So different now, gyms are full of older people etc

I'm retired and loving it, every day is like a holiday. No, I'm not 'keeping busy' as I've been busy for long enough. I started working at 13 (part time, 16 full time) and stopped when I was nearly 70 and you bet your life I'm enjoying my lie ins and pottering about the house and garden now!
Yes, it takes me longer to do things but I've got plenty of time now and no-one to hurry me for the first time in my life. I keep my mind active, engaged and interested and I'm getting to know myself all over again.

Absolutely loads! Get the book Age Proof by Professor Rose Anne Kenny. It's amazing.

Age is mainly mindset and not genetics and she lays it all out with scientific proof in the book.

Weight train, become as strong as you can be. Helps with nearly everything you can think of.

I don't care if there's science. You can usually find a report to back yourself up!

It's not cause and effect and it's not inevitable. Anyone I know, and yes, I am aware that it's anecdotal, but at my age I know a lot of people who have retired, and they have very full lives. They often say they don't know how they had the time to work!

But if early retirement is more associated with less good health, then early retiring and dying younger will be correlated , but the problem is the underlying health conditions not the early retirement

That certainly seemed to be the conclusion of a recent study about getting the over 50s back to work - too much ill health including long covid and health problems not fixed because of the problem in the health service

Get your hearing checked annually. Mid-late life hearing loss is one of the largest risk factors for dementia. It can happen so gradually you barely notice it. Getting hearing aids as soon as there is any deterioration (rather than convincing yourself you don’t need them just yet) can really help reduce the risk.

I took up a new challenging hobby which is slowly developing into a small business.

Not what I had planned at all but it keeps me active both physically and mentally

My husband retired at 60. I retired two years later when I was 57.

My husband was feeling lonely as he'd been working from home before I retired and thought that a dog was needed. We had discussed this and researched this for some time.

Best thing we did.

Husband has long walks in the early hours and I do a long walk in the afternoons.

We both meet regulars and and chat .

Our walks take us through woodland and fields and riverbanks.

These mean so much to us.

It really energises us as we now really appreciate the landscape around us.
We're now very much more focussed on environmental issues which we'd barely thought about in our previous busy lives.

We have definitely slowed down but in a positive way, if you see what I mean, and we have become more vocal in a community sense.

Our garden has definitely improved and , unlike now for some reason, usually looks stunning.
We've built a pond, selected drought resistant plants. Installed a recycling water feature and we are enjoying a garden , which is (usually) so beautiful and we enjoy much more wildlife.

It sounds a bit drab but hard work pays dividends to us.

We love spending an afternoon just lying down and watching.

Yes- this is a big caveat- if it includes people who apply for early retirement on heath grounds, that could be a huge factor. And the converse is true.

eg my builder is 68 and he’s out building in all weathers and lugging stuff about onto roofs so he’s in good shape. But is he in good shape because he’s still working OR is he still able to work because he’s in unusually good shape for a man who’s done a highly physical job for 50 years and not picked up the usual injuries that often go with that sort of job?

Not necessarily true. It would only happen if you retire and spend the rest of your life watching daytime TV. Since I retired I can do the things I want to do and I'm always busy. Learn new skills, crafts, learn a language and keep your brain and body active.

Disagree, I've been busier than ever since I retired!

I can't wait!! I am hoping flexible retirement will work financially for me (checking it out) because I don't want to waste what's left of my life doing someone else's bidding!

I think people have a different mindset now compared to people retiring years ago. We even dress way differently compared to our mothers and grandmothers, and look younger than we are in many cases. I think Covid was eye-opening too.

If I want to go out and sit in my garden and read a book, I want to be able to please myself!

I can’t wait to retire - I’m mid fifties and hoping for redundancy at some point - though it is looking like between two to five years or so but here’s hoping.
I've been in my job for ever and my brain is shrivelling - I’ll do so much more when retired. I just don’t have the time at the moment for my language learning , instruments , choir and gym - plus I do still have a secondary school age child. Most people who have retired from my company early come back to visit looking so relaxed , happy and bronzed. Does wonders !

I retired early (after running my own business) and my days are full of studies, learning a new language, sea swimming, cycling, weight training, dog walking, gardening, volunteering, cooking, travelling, camping. During the working week the world is full of retired people like me having it large. Every morning the local sea pool is a mecca for us grey haired folk who zip up on our bikes and throw ourselves at the water or jump on paddleboards, some to do paddleboard yoga. Nobody looks like they'd rather be at work, everyone looks so grateful to have the opportunity, after a lifetime of work and raising families, to be able to do exactly as they please and keep fit and healthy.

Keeping doing new things, keeping moving, flexible, strong and keeping your mind awake to new things all seem like a great way to delay the inevitable. I've also given up alcohol, lost three stone, upped my load of fruit and veg and drink gallons of water. I might slow down and one day I will die but by god I'm going to have a hoot in the meantime. Bugger work.

How old are you?

Anyway it’s keeping your brain going - learning new skills, still doing some sort of work PT, meeting new people.

Older brains are not as quick as younger ones (although much wisdom to make up for that) but as long as you use it you shouldn’t loose it.

A friend is an NHS psychologist and will tell you that FT retirement is a terrible idea for brain function.

Later retirement is associated with longer life, and retirement is associated with fairly steep declines in cognitive acuity

is associated with does not mean leads to, correlation does not imply causation. Maybe longer life leads to working longer. Maybe having an interesting job leads to both those things. What people do at work varies enormously. Some jobs are boring, repetitive and stressful. They wouldn't be doing much for your cognitive ability.

My guess is that later retirement is also associated with good health, which would lead to longer life.

Keeping your brain and body active does a huge amount to stave off both physical health problems and dementia

A friend's mum had always been academic, and active. She did a degree aged 71, I really admired that. & she loved walks/rambling.
By 76 she'd become much slower and a year after that, can barely walk due to severe arthritis + there are cognitive issues too. She doesnt even read anymore.

Ive seen psople who are fit and active in their 70s, suddenly start going downhill once they hit 75.

We are going to get older and slower and I do not believe we are at a stage where we can definitely do something about that. We can try our best and hope for the best, thats all